Clip for fountain pens and the like



L. CLARET 1 CLIP FOR FOUNTAIN PENS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1, 1946 v If v x w .N

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PTENT E FHCE 3 Claims.

Clips for fountain pens, stylographs, propelling pencils and similar articles have hitherto usual- 1y been made from a single piece of metal of sufiicient strength and resilience to hold such an article in a pocket or the like, by pressure between the article itself and the elastic tongue of the clip.

The metal used in making the clip is strained and in most cases after being in use for some time the elasticity of the tongue is so diminished that the clip no longer performs its function.

The present invention has for its object a .clip which does not possess these disadvantages. It is characterised by the combination of a blade of steel forming a spring fixed without play on the fountain pen or the like with a sheath mounted with play and forming a covering for the spring blade which can in addition be of decorative form.

The mounting of the sheath with play can in particular be effected by guiding the sheath laterally by the engagement of cheeks thereof in one or more longitudinal grooves in the pen, in conjunction with a longitudinal stop provided by a pivot formed by a spur integral with the sheath at its top and engaging in a corresponding hole at a suitable point in the wall of the pen.

By way of example the accompanying drawing, described below, shows in:

Figure 1 a longitudinal axial section of a pen or the like provided with a clip according to the invention, and in Figure 2 a corresponding plan view of the clip from below.

In this example the clip consists of a blade spring I and a sheath 2 mounted with play. The blade spring 1 is fixed for example by screws 8 and a small plate 3, on the pen 9. The sheath 2 is made of suitably shaped metal sheet in which the spring I is hidden when the sheath has been put into place, as shown in chain lines in Figure 2.

For this purpose the sheath comprises an open upper part and a front part I0 closed over in the manner of a shoe and leaving only a gap 1 so narrow as to prevent the spring from coming out.

The sheath comprises lateral checks 6 extending substantially perpendicular to the surface of the pen and engaging in corresponding grooves I formed in the thickness of the pen.

In addition the sheath terminates in a spur or lug 4 which lodges in a hole 5.

Assembling is effected by first fixing the spring I by means of the small plate 3 and screws 8; after which the sheath is put into place by engaging the spring through the open part into the front shoe-like part 10 and by pressing the sheath against the elasticity of the spring until the checks 6 enter the grooves I and the spur 4 lodges in the hole 5.

I claim:

1. A clip mounted on an article such as fountain pen or the like, said article having two parallel spaced longitudinal grooves therein and a hole longitudinally removed from said grooves on the same side of said article as said grooves and intermediate the planes of said grooves as extended, said clip comprising a blade spring secured at an end thereof to said article, a hollow sheath member closed at one end thereof movably mounted around said blade spring, said sheath member having lateral depending cheeks thereon slidably inserted in said grooves in said article and a lug on said sheath member spaced from said cheeks inserted in said hole in said article for preventing longitudinal movement of said sheath.

2. A clip mounted on an article such as a fountain pen or the like, said article having laterally spaced parallel longitudinal grooves in the surface thereof, said grooves being arcuate in depth and a hole in the same said surface longitudinally spaced from said grooVes and intermediate the planes of said grooves as extended, said clip comprising a spring blade secured to said article and a sheath, said sheath comprising a hollow member closed at one end thereof and open at the other end thereof, said hollow member having a longitudinal opening on the under side thereof and partially surrounding said blade, depending cheeks arranged at the sides of said opening and slidably inserted in said spaced grooves, said cheeks being arcuate in depth, a spur on the end'of the upper side of said hollow member spaced from said cheeks inserted in said hole in said article, said spur preventing longitudinal movement of said sheath with respect to said article and said depending flanges being slidable in said grooves for permitting play of said closed end of said sheath with respect to said article in a direction perpendicular thereto.

3. A clip as claimed in claim 2, said spring blade being curved and being biassed towards said article at the free end thereof, said sheath having a constricted portion therein intermediate the ends thereof for coaction with said spring blade for elastically holding said closed end portion in close proximity to said article.

LUCIEN CLARET.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

